Thread-unwinder



(No Model.)

W. GROVER.

THREAD UNWINDBR.

Patent ed Nov. 24. 1885.

INVENTOR Z ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

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WILLIAM GROVER, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD UNVl/BNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,194, dated November2%, 1.885.

Application filed Junc15, 1885. Serial No. 168,717.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Gnovnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inThread-Unwinders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thread-unwinders, the objectbeing to provide an improved apparatus of this class emb0dying animproved flier and means of connecting the same with the spool,wherebyan even and uniform drag friction is had, and simple and convenientmeans are provided for adjusting the drag to any required frictionalresistance.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is aperspective .view of a thread-unwinder constructed accordingto myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the spoolcap, and Fig. 3 isa plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the flier.

In the drawings, A is the spool containing the thread to be unwound. Bis the base of the unwinder, provided with the usual center post, onwhich the spool is set, and having secured thereto in any suitablemanner the thread-guide w, which is provided with the usualguide-eye,o,at its upper end, which terminates about centrally over theend of the spool A. The base B is made preferably of metal, in orderthat it may be of snfficient weight to hold the parts steady while theunwinder is being used.

A cap, 0, of metallic formation, is provided for the upper end of thespool A, consisting of a disk having the post b on its under side,which, when the cap is placed on the spool, as in Fig. 1, projectsdownward into the cavity in the spool and prevents the cap from movinglaterally. A short post, all, is provided on the upper side of thecap,to serve as ahandle. A collar, 0, is formed on the upper side of cap0, in which is formed the annular groove 6, which is smoothly finishedand adapted to receive one end of the flier, as hereinafter described.

The flier a is made of suitable wire, preferably of stiff, elasticpiano-wire, or of that of similar quality, bent substantially to theform shown in Figs. 1 and 4, having the usual (No model.)

thread-eye x, and provided with the separated curved arms 01., the curveof the latter being made to conform substantially to the circle of thebase or bottom of the groove 6 in the cap 0, but the form of said armsbeing such that their ends will not meet when placed on the cap, ashereinafter described. The outer end of the flier is bent downward overthe edge of the cap 0 and the spool-head, as shown, to bring the eye a:to proper position opposite the thread on the spool. on the cap 0 bypressing its open end against the bottom of the groove 6, whereby thearms a are caused to spring open, and they then close, grasping thecircular part of the collar 0 at the bottom of the groove with more orless friction, according to the stiffness of the Wire of which the flieris made, and thereby the requisite drag is imparted to the flier to givethe desired tension to the thread when it is unwound.

WVhen it is found desirable to cause the flier to grasp the neck ofcollar 0 more tightly than its own spring action causes it to do,toobtain moredrag, the S-hook 2, Fig. 1, is applied thereto, which isadjustable toward and from the curved arms 11/, causing the latter to bemore or less compressed against their bearing at the bottom of groove 6.

The operation of the apparatus will be easily understood. The cap 0 andflier n are handled as one piece, to place them on or remove them fromthe spool A, the thread from the latter being passed through the eye orof the flier, and thence through the eye 1; of the threadguide to. Whenthe thread is drawn from the spool,for use on a sewing-machine orelsewhere, the flier n rotates on the cap a with sufficient friction tokeep the thread straight between the spool and the end of the flier, andbetween the latter and the said machine, and any sudden pull on the endof the thread will not throw the flier around and loosen the thread onthe spool, because of the frictional contact of the flier with the cap,as aforesaid.

The within-described flier provides for its adaptation to differentrequirements of frictional resistance by still another means in additionto those above set forthviz., each cap a may be provided with severalfliers of varying weight, which may be interchanged as desired.

The flier is placed What I claim as my invention isgroove 6, combinedwith the flier n, having 1. In a threadl-unwinder, the spool-cap c,curved spring-actuated arms encircling said 10 having a neck thereon atthe bottom of the neck, and the S-hook z, substantially as set groove e,combined with the flier it, having forth.

5 curved spring actuated arms encircling said WM. GROVER.

neck, substantially as set forth. Witnesses:

2. In a thread-unwinder, the spool-cap c, .T. D. GARFIELD, having a neckthereon at the bottom of the H. A. CHAPIN.

